Strategic Briefings &amp; Boardroom Intelligence

Chief Operating Officer - Construction Consultancy Must Professionalise for Scale & Exit

The consultancy’s director‑led model had reached its ceiling; scaling required a COO who could introduce governance, structure, and behavioural alignment.
The leadership team’s tactical bias and varied behavioural styles meant the COO needed to unify ways of working without disrupting culture

Commercial Director – When the Brief Demands bringing Best Practice from other Industries

The manufacturer needed a Commercial Director capable of unifying sales, marketing, product management, installer programmes, and commercial strategy under one leader. By widening the search beyond building products and focusing on capability rather than job title, 111 candidates were identified and refined down to one standout hire — a leader from a foreign sector with the exact blend of value‑proposition expertise, commercial leadership, and cultural fit required to drive the UK business toward its five year strategy.

The role demanded a rare blend of sales leadership, marketing direction, product strategy, commercial governance and strategy
By expanding the search beyond building products, the talent pool widened significantly, enabling a more precise match to the capability blend required

Operations Director, Construction - To Stabilise the Flagship, TUPE Heavy Contract

The construction provider needed an Operations Director capable of stabilising a multimillion‑pound council contract, leading over 200 staff and managing £20m of activity. With more than half the workforce TUPE‑transferred, the search focused on leaders from adjacent sectors managing large public‑sector contracts. The appointed candidate brought the operational authority and diplomatic leadership required to reset behaviours, strengthen delivery, and protect the client’s reputation with the council.

The contract’s complexity — £20m of delivery and a 200‑strong workforce — demanded a leader with both operational authority and political sensitivity
TUPE‑transferred teams and difficult inherited managers meant cultural fit and behavioural leadership were as critical as technical capability

Head of Water – A Utility Contractor looking to Branch out

2 min read•September 2027

Head of Water – A Utility Contractor looking to Branch out

The contractor needed a Head of Water who could build a NAV‑accredited operation from the ground up — a role requiring regulatory authority, operational depth, and credibility with OFWAT. With only a handful of NAV operators in existence and senior water‑authority leaders typically long‑serving and risk‑averse, the talent pool was shallow. Through detailed market mapping, 47 individuals were identified, leading to one exceptional candidate being appointed to drive the investor’s growth plan.

The contractor’s growth ambitions hinged on securing NAV accreditation, yet the blend of regulatory authority, operational leadership, and OFWAT‑facing credibility existed in an exceptionally narrow talent pool.
Senior leaders within water authorities were risk‑averse and well‑benefited, while NAV operators were too few and lean — making this one of the most constrained searches imaginable.

Commercial Director - One role, two job descriptions

Commercial Director - One role, two job descriptions

The manufacturer had grown steadily but was now being outpaced by four competitors, exposing the limitations of relying on a capable Sales Manager to run the entire commercial function. They needed a leader who could shape pricing strategy, manage merchants & specifiers, direct product strategy, and bring marketing back in‑house. With the search needing to remain confidential and the talent blend difficult to find locally, the brief was refocused around capability rather than job title.

The business had outgrown the capability of a long‑serving Sales Manager, and rising competitive pressure meant they urgently needed a Commercial Director
The blend of strategic sales, commercial leadership, and marketing expertise was rare in the West Midlands market, requiring a sensitive and carefully reframed search

Regional Sales Manager – When the Talent Pool is too Shallow

2 min read•September 2027

Regional Sales Manager – When the Talent Pool is too Shallow

The manufacturer urgently needed a Regional Sales Manager to open a new UK territory, but the initial retained headhunter had produced no viable candidates and competitors were already capitalising on the delay. The technical authority required to win over main contractors meant the obvious talent pool was too shallow, and confidentiality limited direct approaches. Mark Goldsmith advised steering toward adjacent structural product backgrounds, expanding the candidate pool significantly.

Technical credibility with main contractors made the natural talent pool extremely narrow, and confidentiality further restricted who could be approached.
By widening the search to adjacent structural product backgrounds, the realistic candidate pool multiplied

Operational-led Managing Director – the epitome of a needle in haystack headhunt

Following the departure of a commercial MD, the European parent Group uncovered an urgent need for an operationally‑led Managing Director with engineering roots and deep fenestration sector knowledge to reverse three years of losses. With only 27 viable candidates nationwide, the assignment demanded a precise, insight‑driven headhunt. Three candidates progressed to client stage.

Critical leadership gap: the European board needed an MD capable of leading the board while driving operational performance across multiple sites
A highly restrictive brief meant only 27 suitable individuals existed nationally, requiring a strategic expansion of the search beyond the region.

Sales Director – When the obvious hire isn’t available

Sadly, budget ruled out attracting a readymade Sales Director from a larger manufacturer. Although the Managing Director wanted to bring in someone from the same product background, the research phase proved we were hunting in a shallow regional talent pool. However, working together, we ensured the optimium conclusion was achieved.

Based on turnover, complexity of the role, or prospects, attracting the ideal candidate isn't always an option. Here's how you can ensure success
Working with a retained headhunter that genuinely understands to nuances of the Building Product market makes the difference

Finance Director – driving financial rigour back to Group

The European parent Group discovered that the UK manufacturer’s financial reporting, stock analysis, and margin control had become inaccurate and inconsistent, leaving the business operating in the red and at risk of further redundancies. With fewer than 40 viable candidates regionally, the brief demanded a Finance Director with manufacturing expertise and proven experience reporting into an international Group. After a targeted headhunt and six interviews, three were recommended for first stage

The UK manufacturer’s financial reporting had become unreliable, leaving the Group unable to make informed decisions
A highly constrained talent pool meant only a small number of regional manufacturing Finance Directors were available

2 min read•September 2027

Introduction to me

Mark Goldsmith – behind the scenes

Within Building Products and Construction, building personal and personable relationships are imperative. Let me introduce you to me and why I do what I do.

What makes Mark Goldsmith tick and why he loves the industries he serves

4 min read•September 2027

Executive Search

Retained vs Contingency: The most expensive free decision you'll make

Boards often trip up when deciding which type of recruitment model to use before going to market with a leadership vancancy. With experience on both sides, Mark Goldsmith explores the key differences and what a client can expect from both.

4 min read•September 2027

'Fee on placement only' has its place but, unless you understand how a contingency agency works, it rarely creates the value of a retained alternative
Contingency recruiters frequently manage high volumes of assignments. They drop any that are proving hard to fill

When using Contingency Recruitment over a Retained Headhunter makes more sense

This article outlines when contingency recruitment is more appropriate than a retained executive search, despite Mark's background in retained headhunting. Contingency works best when commitment is low, speed is essential, or the role is a tactical gap‑fill rather than a strategic hire. Conversely, retained search is the superior choice for roles that shape long‑term business direction, require rigorous market insight, and demand close collaboration between client and headhunter.

Contingency recruitment is more suitable when a business is not fully committed to hiring, needs a quick sweep of the market, or is simply plugging a short‑term gap.
Retained search is the better option when the role is strategic, requires deep market understanding, or demands ongoing collaboration between client and headhunter throughout the process.